I researched the best headphones for noise cancelling because I really need something solid for blocking out background noise while working and traveling. I have spent the past few days reading expert reviews from sources like the new york times, consumer techredar and wired. Across the board, these two headphones are consistently rated as the top picks:
However, I am torn between the two. Both seem excellent, but I am not sure which one would better suit my needs. I would mostly use them during work hours, flights and noisy environments. Comfort, noise cancellation performance, and call clarity are my top priorities.
Has anyone here tried both or either of them? Any recommendations or personal experience would be hugely appreciated.
I’ve used both. Both have excellent noise canceling – among the class leaders.
It really comes down to comfort and sound. Neither sound anywhere near as good as a comparably priced wired headphone or IEM, but they’re OK for wireless. V-shaped with bloomy bass.
The Bose QC are among the most comfortable, light headphones I’ve worn. But that’s my head and ears. Your mileage may vary.
I’ve had both also, the Bose are comfort kings. The bass on the Sony sounded a little artificial. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Bower & Wilkins PX7 Carbon were both really good. Every Monday the landscape crew rolls in. I test noise cancelling when I hear the leaf blowers coming and they always pass right by the front door. Perfect time to test ANC with whatever I have out at the time.
Thanks so much to both of you for the insights, really helpful.
It is good to hear that both the Bose and Sony models deliver strong noise cancellation. I figured sound quality might not be audiophile level given the wireless and ANC trade offs but I mostly need them for focus and peace during work and travel so that is acceptable.
Comfort is a huge one for me, especially during long flights or back to back meetings so i am leaning toward the Bose QC after your comments. Also appreciate the tip on Sennheiser Momentum 4 and B&W PX7 I had not looked too deeply into those but I will check them out.
And I love the leaf blower test, genius way to trial ANC in the real world.
Thanks again everyone for the help earlier! After reading the advice and reviews, I ended up buying the Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones, and honestly, I’ve been super happy with them. The noise cancelling works brilliantly — especially in coffee shops or during travel — and they’re light enough to wear for long hours without any ear pressure. Battery life has also been great; I usually get around 20–24 hours of use on a single charge.
A friend of mine recently bought the Bose New QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth Headphones(2nd Gen) — the one with Spatial Audio, improved mic quality, and up to 30 hours of battery life. He says the soundstage feels wider and more immersive, and I noticed when I tried his pair that the build feels a bit more premium, especially in that Driftwood Sand Limited Edition color.
I’m still really enjoying my current Bose QC, but if they ever start giving me trouble, the QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) is definitely the one I’ll be upgrading to next.